Saturday, September 1, 2012

20 Minutes and a Field Guide

I am trying valiantly to carve out a little time here and there to do things that aren't just trying to get stuff done. On Friday I took a little ramble around our property with a field guide and tried to identify a few of the common plants we have growing in abundance. I decided I'd like to know that those oaks are California Black Oaks, that the little oak shrub is a Curl-Leaf Shrub Oak (according to one source, but Google doesn't seem to agree - need to do some more searching about that one. And what a creative name!), and the evergreen oaks are Interior Live Oaks. Knowing these names is deeply satisfying.

I did get into a bit of a quandary though when I tried to identify the two types of wild blackberries we have growing on our property. I believe the one below on the right is the native Californian blackberry, and the one on the left is cutleaf evergreen blackberry, an invasive species from Europe. I took a little walk this evening (see, trying!) and I was able to sample both types of berries. I think I like the cutleaf ones better - the flavor is a little more complex and interesting, even if they are tarter and smaller. And do you see the spider on the gaillardia flower above? Thanks to Google, I think that's a flower spider (another creative name!), also known as a crab spider or banana spider. They camouflage with the flower to lie in wait for pollinators. Given how many bees visit those flowers, I think they have found excellent hunting grounds!

4 comments:

Very fun, Amber! I'm right there with you in enjoying learning the correct names of plants, birds, etc. I'm looking forward to the challenge at our new home. Other than poison oak and blackberries, everything seems pretty different!

I just found your blog through Year of Less and am inspired by your idea to learn about the plants in your backyard! You haven't posted in awhile, so I'd be curious to know if you did more or if you found out what kind of wild blackberries they are?

I haven't found out anything more than what I already posted. I have gone out again with a field guide, but wasn't able to identify the plants I was trying to find. I think I need a more detailed field guide - right now I only have a wildflower guide, pocket tree guide and a general guide to plants and animals of the Sierra Nevada.

Me

About

My name is Amber, and I'm a Catholic homeschooling mother of six children, ranging from due in August to fifteen years old. I try to order our homeschool to Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. We live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.